Chair of the annual conference council in Sweden Elisabeth Englund makes her presentation

With 52 votes in favour, 2 against and 1 abstaining the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference passed the following motion:

1. If a new church in Sweden will be formed and the United Methodist Church Sweden decides to be a part of it, then the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference approves that the new church will be an Affiliated united church in relation to the United Methodist Church according to BOD § 572.

2. The Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference presupposes that the United Methodist Church Sweden: - will work for a meaningful affiliation through a mutual covenant with the United Methodist Church by the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference. - will establish a plan that takes care of the future of those that will remain United Methodists – congregations, clergy and members. This should also include a fair share of the common annual conference assets, after a new church is established. - will make an agreement about how assets from the United Methodist Church should be taken care of according to the BOD§2501, if the merger does not work and the new denomination dissolves.

3. We underscore the fact that the United Methodist Church Sweden cannot legally be a part of the new church before the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference meets in October 2012.

4. The Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference confirms our responsibility for the congregations, clergy and members that choose not to join the new church.

The proces of becoming an affiliated united church

After the vote of the Central Conference the question will be brought to a vote in all 11 annual conferences of the Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference, where it will take 2/3 of the aggregate vote for the motion to pass. In the process there has been ongoing conversation with the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters who after the annual conference’s decision in the summer of 2011 will deal with the request of the Annual Conference in Sweden to leave the connection to form an affiliated united church. With recommendation of the standing committee the request can be brought to the General Conference 2012 who through an enabling act shall approve of and grant permission for the Annual Conference in Sweden to become an affiliated united church. In october 2012 the Northern Erurope and Eurasia Central Conference will meet and declare the relationship between the United Methodist Church and the annual conference in Sweden dissolved.

The relationship between the new affiliated united church in Sweden will be on a general conference level, where the church will have 3 delegates to general conference will all rights and privileges, except the right to vote. A plan of cooperation between the United Methodist Church and the new affiliated united church will be developed. Furthermore a plan of cooperation will be developed in relation to the United Methodist Church in Northern Europe and Eurasia. The new affiliated united church intents to become a member of the World Methodist Council as well as of the European Methodist Council.